User:Donald Trung/Lock charms

Target: Lock charm.

Original draft


Chinese Lock charms (Traditional Chinese: 家鎖; Simplified Chinese: 家锁; Pinyin: jiā suǒ; Literally translated: "Family lock") are a type of Chinese numismatic charm characterized by the fact that they're shaped like ancient Chinese security locks, this shape can also be described as resembling a basket or in most cases the Chinese character for "concave" (凹). Unlike actual lock Chinese lock pendants tend to be flat and have no moving parts as they only symbolise locks and have no practical utility. Like other types of Chinese numismatic charms lock charms are meant to protect the wearer from harm, misfortune, and evil spirits while wishing for the person wearing it to be blessed good luck, longevity, and achieve a high rank (through the imperial examination system). However the main purpose of lock charms was for the boy who wore these talismans to be "locked" to earth which would supposedly protect him from death.

Chinese lock charms originated during the Ming dynasty but didn't become popular until the nineteenth century, the popularity of lock pendants in China was directly related to the supply of silver as silver had historically been a rare metal in China until it was imported from Japan and Spanish America (through the Manilla galleons) during the Ming dynasty.

Lock charms could be bought at silversmiths and had strong variations in shapes and sizes, parents often would let a Buddhist or a Taoist priest use their own hands to tie these lock charms to little boys. Lock charms are always decorated with both Chinese characters and symbols. Wealthy families often gave their sons lock charms made from jade, nephrite, silver, or gold and while poorer families did often buy silver locks for their sons it was not uncommon for them to let their sons wear brass lock charms,

Symbolism


The lock shape itself symbolises an actual security lock as it symbolises for the young boy who wears it to be "locked" to the earth or "locked to life" and represented the wish of his parents that their young son wouldn't die.

Lock charms may feature Taoist symbolism such as the Taijitu and the Bagua and often have other symbols including Taoist deities such as the Sanxing and Kitchen god. The God Lu (of prosperity) is usually depicted holding a Ruyi scepter and Shou (the God of longevity) may hold a walking cane and a peach which in Chinese folk religion refers to the "peaches of immortality" that can extend ones life by 3000 years. Taoist symbols such as swords wrapped in fillets and ribbons may be displayed to scare away evil ghosts and demons.

Other plants depicted on Chinese lock charms include plum blossoms which in Chinese symbolism are associated with the five blessings, the peony which is associated with wealth and honour, or lotus flowers which has two different names in Mandarin Chinese, namely "蓮花" (lián huā) and "荷花" (hé huā), the first character of the former can be used as a homophonic pun with the word "continuous" (連, lián) while the latter could be used to represent the word "harmony" (和, hé) creating a visual pun for "continuous harmony" (連和, lián hé).

Another commonly found theme on Chinese lock charms are the Sanguang (三光) which are a symbol of good luck and could be translated as the "three lights", these include the sun (日), the moon (月), and the stars (星), the sun and moon may be represented with either Chinese characters while stars are often displayed with symbols such as dots. The inclusion of the sun and the moon symbolises that the lock charm "works" day and night.

Inscriptions on lock charms are usually written from right to left and the most commonly found inscription found on Chinese lock charms (and one of the most commonly found inscriptions of Chinese numismatic charms in general) is cháng mìng fù guì (長命富貴, "longevity, wealth, and honour") while other inscriptions could be used to express a desire for achieving a high rank through the imperial examination system such as zhuàng yuán jí dì (狀元及第, "the first rank at the examination for the Hanlin Academy"), longevity with the inscription cháng mìng bǎi suì (長命百歲, "long life of 100 years"), or a wish for stability with tiān cháng dì jiǔ (天长地久, "as eternal and unchanging as the universe"). Some lock charms feature inscriptions that refer to famous mountains in China such as jiǔ huá míng shān (九華名山, "the famous Mount Jiuhua") and dà máo shān (大茅山, "the great Maoshan") while the names of the geographical regions where these mountains are located may also be displayed on the charm.

Hundred Family lock charms
The Hundred Family lock (Traditional Chinese: 百家鎖; Simplified Chinese: 百家锁; Pinyin: bǎi jiā suǒ) is a special type of silver lock charm these charms are pentagonal prism-shaped silver boxes with two peaked ends and have a bar between. One side of the box is often moulded with four Chinese characters and on the peaked ends of this charm may be images of single flowers. After a child was born in a poor or less wealthy family, the family would either go around and beg a hundred families for a few cash coins (and in some traditions only one) to have an inexpensive lock charm made for their newborn or in order to have one manufactured give other families areca nuts as a means to invite them to donate a small number of cash coins for one. Families that had donated cash coins for this lock charm to be made would then have a vested interest in the child being secure. Hundred family locks were either hung on the child itself as a pendant or in the house of the family as a symbolic means to "lock" the child to life. In this utility Chinese lock charms were very similar to Chinese fish charms which were also gifted by parents to their children for protection.

Redirects

 * #REDIRECT Lock charm


 * 1) Family lock.
 * 2) Family locks.
 * 3) Family lock charm.
 * 4) Family lock charms.
 * 5) Chinese family lock.
 * 6) Chinese family locks.
 * 7) Chinese family lock charm.
 * 8) Chinese family lock charms.
 * 9) Family lock amulet.
 * 10) Family lock amulets.
 * 11) Chinese family lock amulet.
 * 12) Chinese family lock amulets.
 * 13) Family lock talisman.
 * 14) Family lock talismans.
 * 15) Chinese family lock talisman.
 * 16) Chinese family lock talismans.
 * 17) Lock pendant.
 * 18) Lock pendants.
 * 19) Chinese lock pendant.
 * 20) Chinese lock pendants.


 * #REDIRECT Lock charm


 * 1) Hundred Family lock.
 * 2) Hundred Family locks.
 * 3) Hundred Family lock charm.
 * 4) Hundred Family lock charms.
 * 5) Chinese Hundred Family lock.
 * 6) Chinese Hundred Family locks.
 * 7) Chinese Hundred Family lock charm.
 * 8) Chinese Hundred Family lock charms.
 * 9) 100 Family lock.
 * 10) 100 Family locks.
 * 11) 100 Family lock charm.
 * 12) 100 Family lock charms.
 * 13) Chinese 100 Family lock.
 * 14) Chinese 100 Family locks.
 * 15) Chinese 100 Family lock charm.
 * 16) Chinese 100 Family lock charms.

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 * August 2018.